The message et
from The Flying Hamster contains
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Apple, fine. plum trees don't take kindly to pruning, and sulk.

Yup, been picking that up from this group and some of the books we've
been going through. However the tree is in desparate need of some
pruning to remove some crossing branches and dead wood. Slow, gentle
and plenty of care. There's also a plum sapling coming up near the
fruit bearing tree so if the older one doesn't recover from the
pruning there's hope for the future

However, you may find it is rootstock of a different variety of plum.

[...]
next year while I get on with planning the third shed and terracing
for the slope (any hints on where to find good guides on low retaining
walls gratefully received

Where you are I'd guess you have a good supply of stone?

There's a small supply in the field already, though I think I need to
use some of that to clean up the existing walls. Doubly so now as I
can actually reach them after hacking the brambles back (photos once
I've got broadband back). We've also discovered another apple tree
against the back wall.
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Try looking \ / thataway, with a spade.
\/
It's tempting
to cme and visit you and give you a short course in dry stone walling.
Let me know when a few batches of wine and beer have been
molished...........

Wine is on the go, beer will possibly be going on this week though I'm
getting new toys for the molishing of cider so I may play with those
first.

Just trying some nearly-finished tea wine. Molished labels for it -
calling it Woozybooz. Next batch will be Thea horizontalis.

In between marking out the first veg patch and starting to dig
it over of course.

I think I'll hang fire until that's out of the way innit.

Me oomeback are playing up.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm